A Texas woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Bush’s Chicken franchise in Killeen, TX after her husband contracted Campylobacter poisoning and died. The lawsuit, case number D-1-GN-14000041, was filed in District Court of Travis County, TX.
According to the suit, on November 27, 2012, Angela Scurry and her late husband, Morris Scurry, purchased chicken strips at the drive-through window of Bush’s Chicken located on 812 38th St. in Killeen. They ate some on the way home and finished the rest later that night.
At 3:00 a.m. on November 28, Ms. Scurry awoke upon hearing her husband vomiting in the bathroom. He also had diarrhea. These symptoms persisted for three hours. Later that day, shortly after Mr. Scurry said the symptoms had returned, Ms. Scurry found her husband on the floor writhing in pain. She got him into the car to take him to the hospital, but stopped on the way there to call 911 when her husband complained of severe abdominal cramping. An ambulance met them and took Mr. Scurry to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a Campylobacter infection.
During his 10-day hospital stay, Mr. Scurry suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated. He was released from the hospital on December 7, 2012, but when his symptoms persisted, he returned and was admitted on December 11 and again on December 18. On December 21, Mr. Scurry collapsed at his home and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Campylobacter is a bacteria often found in the intestines of poultry. If contaminated poultry is undercooked, infection can occur. According to the complaint, health inspection records show that the Bush’s Chicken restaurant where the Scurrys purchased the meal in question had a history of improper cooking temperatures, cross-contamination and other violations. Ms. Scurry is seeking damages of more than $1 million.
